LampizatOr Baltic 3
- Thread starter VoicesInMyHead
- Start date
I am very excited about the new DAC. Thanks for the those tube references. I’ve just started to explore and read a little bit, at least enough to get in trouble. Will the RCAs retain their 10,000 hr life expectancy from the voltage output of the 6SN7 position on Baltic 3?
If you read the B3 user manual its stated that they will live a loooooooooooooooong life....
Precisely, Golum. From page 9 of the user manual:
"The tube lifetime, almost like the life of a car engine in cold climate – is determined largely by the on-off cycle. The heat expansion coefficient of the glass is so much different than that of the metal, that the air-tight seal of the metal pins can leak oxygen inside the tube and eventually kill it. Even if it is just one molecule per day. So in other words it is better to keep the DAC always on, than to switch it on and off more than necessary.
The lampizator DAC with tube rectifier has a slow start feature which brings the high voltage supply gradually up, at the rate of two- to five volts per second. The PSU reaches 250 V DC after 90 seconds. This helps to extend tube life. The DAC is also equipped with voltage down feature (bleeders) which reduce the power voltage upon switch-off at roughly the same rate.
On top of that – the tubes are operated always around 25% of full nominal power, which greatly increases their life expectancy. Combining all the factors together, the tube lifetime should be anywhere between 10 and 20 years, assuming the player is switched off only once per day, for the night."
@Vangelis, I paid £400 for my RCA pair and they made such an uplift to the SQ that, to me, it was a "no-brainer". The output tubes are also worth experimenting with and my chosen pair were just £140. I think I paid around £380 for the Psvane rectifier. All up, I have spent less than 15% of the capital cost of the DAC (mine was a bit more expensive than the base version as it has a pre-amp/volume control), but it sounds so much better than with the stock tubes that I recommend rolling as "essential". And, as you say, also fun.
Nikko
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Hello Lampi friends
I have the stock psvane Blue globes on 6sn7s on my Baltic3 and want to make a decent upgrade on these. To be honest I don't think these tubes are bad but sounds a bit top and bottom end blown up. Looking for something more creamy musical..
Can you share your experiences on 6sn7 tube rolling? What tubes will be the clear upgrade ?
Would 1960s RCA 6sn7 gtb do the trick or should I go back to 1940s 6sn7gt series? Or another brands?
Many thanks for the help
I have the stock psvane Blue globes on 6sn7s on my Baltic3 and want to make a decent upgrade on these. To be honest I don't think these tubes are bad but sounds a bit top and bottom end blown up. Looking for something more creamy musical..
Can you share your experiences on 6sn7 tube rolling? What tubes will be the clear upgrade ?
Would 1960s RCA 6sn7 gtb do the trick or should I go back to 1940s 6sn7gt series? Or another brands?
Many thanks for the help
Hi Dhemen
I assume you have read the posts earlier in this thread. I documented my experience rolling the 6SN7 tubes and tried out many different options before setting on the RCA red base 5691. You can read all about it on page 7 of this thread. FWIW, I also like the VT99 (although with the cost of the adapters, they work out even more expensive than the RCAs) and also the Sylvania 6SN7GTB. Neither of them are nearly as good as the RCA.
It's also well worth rolling the output tubes, which I wrote about on page 8 of this thread.
Long story short, I paid £400 for the 5691s and £140 for the Mullard EEC82s, and another £380 for a Psvane Acme 274B rectifier, which is <15% of the cost of the DAC itself. And I have a hugely improved sound from the factory-supplied tubes.
Hope you enjoy the ride.
Nikko
I assume you have read the posts earlier in this thread. I documented my experience rolling the 6SN7 tubes and tried out many different options before setting on the RCA red base 5691. You can read all about it on page 7 of this thread. FWIW, I also like the VT99 (although with the cost of the adapters, they work out even more expensive than the RCAs) and also the Sylvania 6SN7GTB. Neither of them are nearly as good as the RCA.
It's also well worth rolling the output tubes, which I wrote about on page 8 of this thread.
Long story short, I paid £400 for the 5691s and £140 for the Mullard EEC82s, and another £380 for a Psvane Acme 274B rectifier, which is <15% of the cost of the DAC itself. And I have a hugely improved sound from the factory-supplied tubes.
Hope you enjoy the ride.
Nikko
I strongly recommend you to try rca red base 5692 tubes cause they are the substitute of 6SN7 tubes, 5691 tubes are not. 5691 tubes can be considered the subtitutes of 6SL7’s. I used rca red base 5692 tubes, they sound very dynamic but a little aggressive for me. I prefer tung-sol vt-231 smoked glass, oval mica, copper posts or marconi B65 to rca 5692’s. rca vt-231 smoked glass is an economic alternative and 5692 is definitely a great sounding tube on the right equipment.
in the place of stock 5U4G cossor 53KU or gec U52 would be the best sounding options disregarding the unobtainable we274b’s. Cossor GZ37/53KU (GZ 33) worths a try which has an indirectly heated cathode.
Hi mtemur. What's in the rest of your system? I found RCA 5692's nice and smooth in my system. Not at all doubting your findings just curious about the context!
Hi Kenc,
I used 5692 tubes on Sun Audio 2A3 amp. It was a diy amp and I tried lots of modifications (Duelund coupling and black gate electrolitic caps, lots of tubes). Unfortunately that was a long time ago and I no longer have any equipment to use 6SN7 tubes. Now I’m using Kondo electronics.
Kind regards...
got it... I thought you were talking about these 6SN7 equivalents in the context of the Baltic 3.
Just installed the new Baltic 3 two back. Pretty darn good after just two days of run in. I expected a silver front with a black chassis and to my surprise I received a silver front with a silver chassis. Really I’m pretty thrilled, it looks great. it’s slightly more industrial looking in all silver, reminds of some gear I saw in 1950’s scifi classic, Forbidden Planet.
It's nice to see Lampi's with silver chassis and how different they look. I'm a silver front guy myself as it matches the rest of my equipment, but my Lampi chassi is traditional black though. I'm glad you're enjoying your new DAC, the B3 is so much fun! 
Meanwhile I've found a new personal favorite for my B3... the National Union 6F8G/VT-99 (adapter required) sounds amazing in my system and just the way I like. This spot was previously taken by Tung-Sol VT-99 which I hold higher than all the other 6SN7's I've tried, but the National Union is even more open, holographic, fun and lively in it's presentation. This is by far the best tube I've tried (so far I should say). The boxes have seen better days, I guess this is what happens with age, but the tubes looks and sounds great!
Meanwhile I've found a new personal favorite for my B3... the National Union 6F8G/VT-99 (adapter required) sounds amazing in my system and just the way I like. This spot was previously taken by Tung-Sol VT-99 which I hold higher than all the other 6SN7's I've tried, but the National Union is even more open, holographic, fun and lively in it's presentation. This is by far the best tube I've tried (so far I should say). The boxes have seen better days, I guess this is what happens with age, but the tubes looks and sounds great!
Just got to love the look of tubes Especially when listening to music.It's nice to see Lampi's with silver chassis and how different they look. I'm a silver front guy myself as it matches the rest of my equipment, but my Lampi chassi is traditional black though. I'm glad you're enjoying your new DAC, the B3 is so much fun!
Meanwhile I've found a new personal favorite for my B3... the National Union 6F8G/VT-99 (adapter required) sounds amazing in my system and just the way I like. This spot was previously taken by Tung-Sol VT-99 which I hold higher than all the other 6SN7's I've tried, but the National Union is even more open, holographic, fun and lively in it's presentation. This is by far the best tube I've tried (so far I should say). The boxes have seen better days, I guess this is what happens with age, but the tubes looks and sounds great!
It's indeed something special and I can't believe I was so reluctant of having exposed tubes for so many years. It's really fun when the DAC answers so well to changing tubes, it sometimes literally transforms the system. Quite addictive.
I just got my Baltic3 back from Poland after some issue with my mains supply damaged it. To make sure it never happens again, my dealer Greg convinced me to order a GigaWatt power conditioner. With this feeding power to the 5 devices that make the music, it's never sounded better. GigaWatt is highly recommended.
That's the right decision. Clean and good power is one of the most important things in audio I would say. It's usually an essential upgrade to any system and should not be overlooked.
EDIT: In my signature I realized that I've divided components into sections lite, "main", "digital", "analog" for example, and I've put my power distributor in the "main" section together with speakers and amplifier. That's how important I consider it to be.
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